Daily updates about Syria

6/28/2014

The US House of Representatives passed a bill to prevent MANPADS, shoulder-fired anti-air missiles, from being delivered to any Syrian rebel group.

An Islamic Front summary of current fighting in rural Idlib at al-Arbaen mountain:

The Islamic Front reported that government forces pulled out of 2 areas in Old Aleppo, leaving only guards, out of fear of tunnel bombings.

15 civilians were injured in Aleppo due to mortars launched by Islamic battalions onto the al-Neirab camp.

The Azaz People’s Hospital in the Aleppo countryside said that it will have to close on July 1 due to a lack of support from the Interim Government and other organizations.

Rebels in Aleppo accused the ISIL of retreating in order to allow government forces to take areas near Rhamaniyyah.

While visiting Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State John Kerry told Ahmad Jarba, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, that the moderate rebel groups will be important in fighting the ISIL.

Ahmad Jarba reversed a decision by the interim opposition government to dismantle the Supreme Military Council over graft allegations, saying that it fell outside of their authority. He said the issue will instead be discussed in an SNC meeting.

The Deir Ez Zor rebel council announced that it has taken back parts Abu Kamal from the ISIL. The ISIL entered the city several days ago after the local Jabhat al-Nusra commander swore allegiance to them.

Last night 3 ISIL fighters were killed and 15 were injured when a suicide bomber detonated his vest inside and ISIL HQ inside the city.

Jabhat al-Nusra and the FSAinitially sent reinforcements and set up roadblocks within the city before demanding that ISIL fighters hand over their weapons and leave by the morning. Fighting occurred between rebels who were sent to reinforce the city and the al-Nusra fighters within the city who had sworn allegiance to the ISIL.

A large convoy of fighters from the Mujahideen Shura Council and Al-sh’etat tribesmen enter the city of al-Shahil in Deir Ez Zor:

Al-Shahil is a Jabhat al-Nusra stronghold.

Negotiations are underway between the ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra to reach a ceasefire in the region of Deir Ez Zor.

A car bomb near a mosque in the Damascus suburb of Douma killed 10 people and wounded 20. The ISIL denied responsibility.

A baby starved to death in Douma as a result of the government siege on the city.

Rebels began an offensive to take the Hamidiyah military base in rural Idlib, which has been under a blockade for 3 months.

Abu Aslan, a commander for the Islamic Front, was killed in the fighting.

Rebels also attacked checkpoints around Maarat al-Numan, which lies just north of the military base. They attacked the al-Tarraf, al-Madajen, and Addahman checkpoints.

Helicopters dropped food aid into the al-Dayf and al-Hamdya camps, which are currently under seige by Islamic battalions, in Idlib.

In al-Raqqa the ISIL has been housing dozens of Chinese fighters in houses of people it has evicted in the Kurdish village of Tal Akdar. This has been done as ISIL fighters are being evacuated from ar-Raqqa due to recent government airstrikes on ISIL positions in the city.

3 children and 2 women were killed by airstrikes on the town of Ma’dan in al-Raqqa.

In al-Hasakah province fighting between government soldiers and NDF fighters and the ISIL and tribes allied to them broke out around Rif Qameshli. Government forces took 5 villages, resulting in the deaths of 11 ISIL fighters, as well as 6 government casualties.

Assad issued a law that suspended loans for military deserters and allows the spouses and children of the deserters to be prosecuted for the collection of the debt.

YPG fighters forced the office of the Kurdish Yeketi Party to close in the city of Ras al-Ain. They also threatened the director of the office and gave him 24 hours to leave the city. The YPG is often accused of working as the armed wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

It has been 5 months since the last confirmed case of Polio in Syria.

Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, the Grand Mufti of Syria, accused the Turkish government of the abduction of Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi, the Syriac Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo. He said Turkey sent a Chechen team to kidnap them because it was angry about their reconciliation efforts.

Government forces captured areas near the Lebanese border, cutting supply lines to the mountain resort of Zabadani that has been under rebel control for 2 years. SANA said that government forces in the Qalamoun region reached the edge of the Lebanese border town of Tufeil. The SAA said that the offensive’s objective is to separate Zabadani from Qalamoun.

Zaman Alwasl recieved an intelligence report from one of its sources describing the ground situation in Aleppo city and its countryside.

500 rebels working for several different factions have the task of controlling as many military points as possible, installing traps and barriers, and attacking 12 logistics points. The rebels also frequently have to walk 9 km through the mountains, which have been seeded with landmines by government forces and Hezbollah, in order to reach rebel positions.

Iranian forces have set up their first training center in the southern countryside of Aleppo. They mainly train Shabiha and NDF fighters.

Syria has rejected the idea of setting up refugee camps just inside the border with Lebanon, saying that Syria is large enough to accommodate all of its citizens.

Rebels and government forces have agreed on a truce during Ramadan in the al-Waer district of Homs.

A helicopter drops a barrel bomb on a government checkpoint in Mt. Zawyia, Idlib:

al-Jawlani, the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, has returned from Idlib to Deir Ez Zor after being treated for his injuries.

A man in Aleppo sentenced by the ISIL to 20 lashes and 4 hours in a crucifixion position for theft.

8 men in Dary Hafir who were executed for apostasy.

A graph by twitter user archicivilians showing fighting statistics for June 2014.

A prisoner released from a government prison.

A Civil Defense team in Aleppo after a barrel bomb attack.

An ISIL member in Aleppo who was executed and crucified by the ISIL for theft.

A Civil Defense team in Aleppo after a barrel bomb attack.

Protesters in Kafr Batna pointing out the contradiction in Obama’s recent remarks on Syrian rebels.